Data Journalism

Find, clean and interrogate data, then tell the story it supports.

What the course covers

8 modules, 32 topics. Open any one to see what sits inside it.

1. 1.1 What data journalism adds
2. 1.2 Treating a dataset like a human source
3. 1.3 Story-first and data-first approaches
4. 1.4 The skills, and the team around them
1. 2.1 Open data portals and official statistics
2. 2.2 Freedom of information for datasets
3. 2.3 Scraping, and when it is appropriate
4. 2.4 Building your own dataset
1. 3.1 Understanding how the data was collected
2. 3.2 Documentation, definitions and caveats
3. 3.3 Cleaning without changing meaning
4. 3.4 Joining datasets safely
1. 4.1 Counting, sorting and filtering for stories
2. 4.2 Rates, ratios and per capita
3. 4.3 Change over time
4. 4.4 Averages and distributions, and what they hide
1. 5.1 Sampling and margin of error
2. 5.2 Correlation and causation in a headline
3. 5.3 Reading a study or a poll critically
4. 5.4 Getting expert review before you publish
1. 6.1 Choosing a chart that tells the truth
2. 6.2 Maps, and the traps in them
3. 6.3 Interactive and scrollable pieces
4. 6.4 Accessibility and mobile
1. 7.1 Leading with the human, supporting with the number
2. 7.2 Explaining your method to readers
3. 7.3 Publishing the data and code alongside
4. 7.4 Correcting an analysis that was wrong
1. 8.1 Tools and workflow
2. 8.2 Working with developers and designers
3. 8.3 The ethics of personal and sensitive data
4. 8.4 Building a data desk in a small newsroom

By the end of this course you will be able to explain and apply:

Two hours, not two months Eight short modules. Finish in a day, or do one module a night for a week.

Depth beyond your coursework Pitched above taught content, for research, leadership and the work that follows the degree.

Built for a phone Watch on the bus, pause mid-module, pick up where you stopped. No download, no lab.

A certificate that can be checked Every certificate carries an ID your college or an employer can verify on our site.

About two hours in total — eight modules of roughly fifteen minutes. You can do it in one sitting or spread it across a week. Your place is saved either way.
No. There is no prerequisite course and no software to install. A phone, tablet or computer with an internet connection is enough.
Yes. This course is placed at Master's Degree for India, and the content is written for that level. If you are at a different stage, change your level at the top of the page and the courses will change with it.
A certificate for the course, carrying an ID that your college or an employer can check on our verification page. You keep access to the material afterwards.
Yes — ₹450 for this course on its own, or ₹1,450 for all five in this set, which works out cheaper if you want more than one.
There is a short quiz at the end of each module so you can check what stuck. It is not timed and you can retake it.
Change your country using the picker at the top. Level names, degree names and prices all switch to that country, and the courses adjust to its education system.

Wording shown for India. Pick a different country at the top and the terms, currency and programme names change with it.